NEWS
Curlin denies Street Sense’s Triple Crown bid
Posted: Saturday, May 19, 2007 6:31 PM
CURLIN (outside)
Photo by Z/Vincent Dusovic
by Jeff Apel
Curlin edged Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Street Sense in the final strides of the $1-million Preakness Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, ending the Derby victor’s chance for a Triple Crown bid.
Curlin unleashed a determined stretch run to overtake Street Sense and won by a head. Curlin and jockey Robby Albarado finished third, eight lengths behind Street Sense and jockey Calvin Borel, in the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs.
“I realized I got up,” Albarado said. “I think Calvin realized also.
“It was close. But this guy was coming.”
Street Sense, the 2006 champion two-year-old male trained by Carl Nafzger, opened a 1 1/2-length lead from Curlin in early stretch of the 1 3/16-mile classic. Just when it appeared Street Sense would move within one win of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, Curlin rallied under urging from Albarado and gamely prevailed in 1:53.46 on a fast track.
“Once he started moving and he changed leads, I knew we were going to win it,” said Satish Sanan of Padua Stables, Curlin’s co-owner. “It was a question of, ‘Can we get the bob?’ We did.”
Hard Spun, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, finished third, four lengths behind Street Sense.
Curlin’s win was the first Preakess victory for Albarado and Asmussen, who finished fifth with his two previous starters in the second leg of the Triple Crown—Snuck In in 2000 and Easyfromthegetgo in 2002.
“Horses like Curlin put you in this race,” Asmussen said. “You put them where they belong. This horse is good enough for this, and this is where he belongs.”
Albarado was forced to make quick adjustments after Curlin stumbled at the start and dropped back to seventh through a half-mile in :45.75.
“Obviously, I had to go to plan B,” Albarado said. “I had to use him a little more than I wanted to under the wire the first time to keep him in contention.
“But I was always content where I was. I just kept my eye on Hard Spun and awaited [Street Sense] to come on by anytime.”
An emotional Borel spoke briefly with Nafzger after Street Sense rallied from eighth and gained command on the turn. Borel could see Curlin gaining late as the finish line approached.
“I thought it was all over when I got by Hard Spun turning for home. I thought he was just going to gallop,” Borel said. “But things happen. He just got to gawking 40 yards from home and he just got outrun.”
Hard Spun stalked pacesetter Xchanger in third through a half-mile, and opened a two-length lead through six furlongs in 1:09.80. Curlin moved up on the outside of foes on the turn, and proved best while earning a win that left Asmussen answering questions about the Belmont Stakes (G1), a 1 1/2-mile race on June 2 at Belmont Park that is the final leg of the Triple Crown.
“We hope that’s possible,” Asmussen said. “This is the stage this horse was meant for.”
Curlin was unbeaten in his first three career starts, including consecutive wins at Oaklawn Park in the Rebel Stakes (G3) on March 17 and the Arkansas Derby (G2) on April 14. Asmussen replaced Helen Pitts as Curlin’s trainer after Sanan, Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stable, and George Bolton purchased a majority interest in the colt for a reported $3.5-million from Midnight Cry Stable.
“It took a lot of people to get this horse in the barn,” Asmussen said. “I appreciate all of them.”
Curlin was not raced as a two-year-old. The Smart Strike colt, who is out of the Deputy Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy, earned his fourth win in five starts and increased his earnings to $1,602,800.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Jeff Apel is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor
